1
|
Lambert GG, Crespo EL, Murphy J, Boassa D, Luong S, Celinskis D, Venn S, Hu J, Sprecher B, Tree MO, Orcutt R, Heydari D, Bell AB, Torreblanca-Zanca A, Hakimi A, Lipscombe D, Moore CI, Hochgeschwender U, Shaner NC. CaBLAM! A high-contrast bioluminescent Ca 2+ indicator derived from an engineered Oplophorus gracilirostris luciferase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.25.546478. [PMID: 37425712 PMCID: PMC10327125 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.25.546478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Ca2+ plays many critical roles in cell physiology and biochemistry, leading researchers to develop a number of fluorescent small molecule dyes and genetically encodable probes that optically report changes in Ca2+ concentrations in living cells. Though such fluorescence-based genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs) have become a mainstay of modern Ca2+ sensing and imaging, bioluminescence-based GECIs-probes that generate light through oxidation of a small-molecule by a luciferase or photoprotein-have several distinct advantages over their fluorescent counterparts. Bioluminescent tags do not photobleach, do not suffer from nonspecific autofluorescent background, and do not lead to phototoxicity since they do not require the extremely bright extrinsic excitation light typically required for fluorescence imaging, especially with 2-photon microscopy. Current BL GECIs perform poorly relative to fluorescent GECIs, producing small changes in bioluminescence intensity due to high baseline signal at resting Ca2+ concentrations and suboptimal Ca2+ affinities. Here, we describe the development of a new bioluminescent GECI, "CaBLAM," which displays a much higher contrast (dynamic range) than previously described bioluminescent GECIs coupled with a Ca2+ affinity suitable for capturing physiological changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Derived from a new variant of Oplophorus gracilirostris luciferase with superior in vitro properties and a highly favorable scaffold for insertion of sensor domains, CaBLAM allows for single-cell and subcellular resolution imaging of Ca2+ dynamics at high frame rates in cultured neurons. CaBLAM marks a significant milestone in the GECI timeline, enabling Ca2+ recordings with high spatial and temporal resolution without perturbing cells with intense excitation light.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerard G. Lambert
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | | | - Jeremy Murphy
- Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Daniela Boassa
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Selena Luong
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Dmitrijs Celinskis
- Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Stephanie Venn
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI USA
| | - Junru Hu
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Brittany Sprecher
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Maya O. Tree
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI USA
| | - Richard Orcutt
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Daniel Heydari
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Aidan B. Bell
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | | | | | - Diane Lipscombe
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI USA
| | - Christopher I. Moore
- Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | | | - Nathan C. Shaner
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang T, Song J, Zhang Y. Coelenterazine-Type Bioluminescence-Induced Optical Probes for Sensing and Controlling Biological Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065074. [PMID: 36982148 PMCID: PMC10049153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence-based probes have long been used to quantify and visualize biological processes in vitro and in vivo. Over the past years, we have witnessed the trend of bioluminescence-driven optogenetic systems. Typically, bioluminescence emitted from coelenterazine-type luciferin–luciferase reactions activate light-sensitive proteins, which induce downstream events. The development of coelenterazine-type bioluminescence-induced photosensory domain-based probes has been applied in the imaging, sensing, and control of cellular activities, signaling pathways, and synthetic genetic circuits in vitro and in vivo. This strategy can not only shed light on the mechanisms of diseases, but also promote interrelated therapy development. Here, this review provides an overview of these optical probes for sensing and controlling biological processes, highlights their applications and optimizations, and discusses the possible future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Jiang
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University–Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Shandong University, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Correspondence: (T.J.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jingwen Song
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University–Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-Infectives, Shandong University–Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Correspondence: (T.J.); (Y.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Petersen ED, Sharkey ED, Pal A, Shafau LO, Zenchak-Petersen J, Peña AJ, Aggarwal A, Prakash M, Hochgeschwender U. Restoring Function After Severe Spinal Cord Injury Through BioLuminescent-OptoGenetics. Front Neurol 2022; 12:792643. [PMID: 35126293 PMCID: PMC8811305 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.792643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to manipulate specific neuronal populations of the spinal cord following spinal cord injury (SCI) could prove highly beneficial for rehabilitation in patients through maintaining and strengthening still existing neuronal connections and/or facilitating the formation of new connections. A non-invasive and highly specific approach to neuronal stimulation is bioluminescent-optogenetics (BL-OG), where genetically expressed light emitting luciferases are tethered to light sensitive channelrhodopsins (luminopsins, LMO); neurons are activated by the addition of the luciferase substrate coelenterazine (CTZ). This approach utilizes ion channels for current conduction while activating the channels through the application of a small chemical compound, thus allowing non-invasive stimulation and recruitment of all targeted neurons. Rats were transduced in the lumbar spinal cord with AAV2/9 to express the excitatory LMO3 under control of a pan-neuronal or motor neuron-specific promoter. A day after contusion injury of the thoracic spine, rats received either CTZ or vehicle every other day for 2 weeks. Activation of either neuron population below the level of injury significantly improved locomotor recovery lasting beyond the treatment window. Utilizing histological and gene expression methods we identified neuronal plasticity as a likely mechanism underlying the functional recovery. These findings provide a foundation for a rational approach to spinal cord injury rehabilitation, thereby advancing approaches for functional recovery after SCI.SummaryBioluminescent optogenetic activation of spinal neurons results in accelerated and enhanced locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury in rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric D. Petersen
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Erik D. Sharkey
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Akash Pal
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Lateef O. Shafau
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | | | - Alex J. Peña
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Anu Aggarwal
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Mansi Prakash
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Ute Hochgeschwender
- Program in Neuroscience, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Ute Hochgeschwender
| |
Collapse
|